vengeance upon his enemies! And the
air seemed to be full of signs. There was a gloom of gathering darkness
in the sky, a thrill and tremor in the solid earth, a haunting presence
as of ghostly visitants who chilled the heart and hovered in awful
witness above that scene. The dying robber had joined at first in the
half-taunting, half-despairing appeal to a defeat and weakness which
contradicted all that he had hoped; but now this defeat seemed to be
greater than victory, and this weakness more irresistible than strength.
As he looked, the faith in his heart dawned more and more into the
perfect day. He had long ceased to utter any reproachful words; he now
rebuked his comrade's blasphemies. Ought not the suffering innocence of
him who hung between them to shame into silence their just punishment
and flagrant guilt? And so, turning his head to Jesus, he uttered the
intense appeal, "O Jesus, remember me when thou comest in thy kingdom."
Then he, who had been mute amid invectives, spake at once in surpassing
answer to that humble prayer, "Verily, I say to thee, to-day shalt thou
be with me in Paradise."

Though none spoke to comfort Jesus--though deep grief, and terror, and
amazement kept them dumb--yet there were hearts amid the crowd that beat
in sympathy with the awful sufferer. At a distance stood a number of
women looking on, and perhaps, even at that dread hour, expecting his
immediate deliverance. Many of these were women who had ministered to
him in Galilee, and had come from thence in the great band of Galilean
pilgrims. Conspicuous among this heart-stricken group were his mother
Mary, Mary of Magdala, Mary the wife of Clopas, mother of James and
Joses, and Salome the wife of Zebedee. Some of them, as the hours
advanced, stole nearer and nearer to the cross, and at length the
filming eye of the Saviour fell on his own mother Mary, as, with the
sword piercing through and through her heart, she stood with the
disciple whom he loved. His mother does not seem to have been much with
him during his ministry. It may be that the duties and cares of a humble
home rendered it impossible. At any rate, the only occasions on which we
hear of her are occasions when she is with his brethren, and is joined
with them in endeavoring to influence, apart from his own purposes and
authority, his messianic course. But although at the very beginning of
his ministry he had gently shown her that the earthly and filial
relation was now to